Talking-machine attachment.



w. M5. mu TALKING MACHINE ATTACHMENL' l APPLICATION FILED SEPI- 29. 1916. 1,216,691.. Patented Feb. 20

TALKING-MACHINE ATTACHMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 29, 1916. Serial No. 122,791.

To aZZ "whom it may concern:

Be it'known that I, W'ILLIAM M. HiLLIAno, a citizen of the United States, residing at Haverhill, in the county of Essex and State of'Massachusetts, have invented an Imrovement in Talking-Machine Attachments, of which the following is a specifier tion.

This invention relates to certain improvements in talking machines of that class-in which a flat, circular record is employed in connection with a horizontally swinging tone arm, on the end of which the sound. box is plvoted in position to swing vertically upward from the record, past the vertical and downward, so that it rests on, or issnpported by said arm.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved means for automatically swinging the tone-arm back to the starting, or initial position, after the playing of a record has been finished, and for holding it in this position until the sound box is again swung down into operative position, and, further, to provide a mechanism for the above purpose, which is of simple and durable construction, and adapted to be applied to a well-known form of talking machine now on the market.-

10 drawing is of well-known form comprising a. cabinet at, on which the tone-arm or soundbox arm I) is mounted to swing about a vertical axis, said arm having the usual soundbox 0 pivotally mounted on the end of the L5 arm b to swing vertically upward from the position of use, past the vertical, and then downwardly until it is brought to rest either directly on the arm I) or on a bracket which is carried by the arm.

' According to my invention, 1 provide a 'bell-crank-lever d, which is mounted on. a horizontal pivot e, secured by any suitable means to the under side of the arm 6. The depending arm d of-said lever is connected at its end by'a universal joint f, to one end of a link 9-, the other end ofsaid link being I accomplish theseobjects by the means connected by a'pivot h to the support on which the tone-arm is mounted, in a position to permit the link 9 to swing horizontally about an axis which is eccentric to the axis of the tone-arm b. The horizontally disposed arm d of the bell-cranklever (Z, is arranged in position to be engaged by the edge of the sound-box when swung rearwardly and downwardly into the posltion of disuse.

The parts are so arranged that, when the tone-arm and the sound-box are in position of use, as shown in Fig.- 3, the arm d will be raised to an upwardly inclined position, when the arm 6 is in a position adjacent the middle of the record-carrying table a. If, then, the sound-box is raised and swung baclcpast the vertical, and down into engagement with said arm (Z the weight of the sound-box will, to a large extent, be applied to the arm d so that when the soundbox is lowered into engagement with the arm (2 and its weight permitted to rest thereon, this weight will tend to press down the arm (1 and cause the arm (5 to be swung rearwardly, thereby causing a rearward thrust on the link g.- As this horizontal thrust will be resisted by pivot h, the re active force will cause the tone-arm to be swung away from the pivot h, and, therefore, away from the center of the recordsupporting table, as from the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, to a position at one side of the table, shown in full lines in Fig. 2. When in the latter position, the weight of the sound-box will tend to hold the arm in such position, and to prevent movement therefrom. When the sound-box is lifted and moved out of engagement with the bell-crank-lever d, the swinging movement of the arm will be unobstructed.

In Fig. i, aslightly modified form of the invention is shown, in which the pivot h of the link 9 is arranged at the opposite side of the tone-arm from that shown in I Figs. 1, 2,and 3, and the bell-crank-lever comprises a shaft portion 6, which extends beneath the arm Z), and has arms 6Z3, cl at its opposite ends. In this instance, the arm 01*, corresponding to arm 7), extends upwardly with relatipn to its pivot, so that when the other arm (Z is pressed downwardly by the sound-box, the latter will cause a pulling action on thelink g,which will, in turn, cause the arm b.to-be swung to the initial position, as already described.

ratentea Feb. 20, 1917.

, i olaim:

1. In a talking machine, the combination of a sound-box arm mounted to swing horizontally to and from its initial position, a

sound box mounted on said arm to swing vertically and to pass the vertical when moved from its operative to its inoperative position, and means, actuated by the, gravity of the sound box as it moves to its inoperative position, to swing said arm to its initial position. v

2. In a talking machine, the combination of a sound-box arm mounted to swing horizontally-to and from its initial position, a

sound box mounted on said arm to swing vertically and to pass the vertical when moved froin its operative to. its inoperative posit-ion,- a link stationarily pivoted at onetherethrough to the pivot of said link and cause swing ng movement of said arm to lts initial position.

3. In a talking machine, the combinationof a support, a sound-box arm mounted thereon to swing horizontally to and from 1ts lnltlal position, a sound box mounted on .said arm to swing vertically and to pass'the verticalwhen moved from its operative to. its IIIOPGIHUV6POSllllOIl, an angularshaped lever pivotally mounted on said arm, an" haviilg one of its arms connected to said support in a position eccentric to the axis of said sound-box arm and the other of its arms arranged to be engaged by th sound box as it moves downwardly to its inoperative position and to be swung by the weight of the sound box t actuate the sound-box arm toward its initial position.

In testimony whereof, lhave signed my name to this specification. WILLIAM M. 'IIILLIARD.

Witness: i L. H. HARRIMAN. 

